Breaking the bank for a wide receiver is something fans of the Baltimore Ravens would love to see, but a signing of Will Fuller V could still be exciting.
The 2021 wide receiver pool for Free Agency has tons of stars that teams will look heavily into paying the big bucks for. Whether it’s Allen Robinson or Chris Godwin or Kenny Golladay or JuJu Smith-Schuster, there are plenty of great talents to be added. That’s exactly why many are hoping that the Baltimore Ravens will break the bank for one of these top guys with the idea that doing so will put this offense over the top.
Breaking the bank for one of these top receivers isn’t entirely out of play for Baltimore. The Ravens have almost ~$27 million in cap space to spend this offseason and may be able to clear some more money with a restructure or two (looking at you, Brandon Williams). This would put the team in play for someone like Robinson, who is arguably the top free agent on the market.
Baltimore, historically, has never been a team that spends a lot on Free Agency until very recently. We may see the team try to make a few moves in Free Agency rather than one big splash considering the roster is in pretty good shape short of a couple of pieces here and there. That’s precisely why we should expect the Ravens to go bargain-bin shopping for a wide receiver.
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Many have linked Baltimore to Corey Davis as a potential Free Agency target after having a career year in an equally run-heavy offense in Tennessee. If Davis can make things work as a team’s second option in the passing game, surely he could be just as effective in a new yet familiar scheme with the Ravens. It makes a lot of sense to happen… almost too much sense.
There are a few other free-agent wide receivers that make sense to come to Charm City, but perhaps Will Fuller V makes more sense than the rest.
Fuller has long been developing into a stud receiver after being a first-round pick back in 2016. Fuller was having the best year of his career in 2020 as one of the Houston Texans’ top options before getting suspended the final five games of the season due to PED use. His suspension was actually six games, so he will have to miss week one of the 2021 season. Prior to that suspension, Fuller was on pace for just shy of ~1,300 receiving yards and ~12 touchdowns while averaging 16.6 YPR.
What made this season all the more impressive is that Fuller put up these numbers after DeAndre Hopkins was traded during last year’s offseason. Fuller embraced a bigger role in the offense as one of the top options in the passing game for Houston. Based on what he showed, his best football days seem to be ahead of him.
Fuller isn’t likely to be a massive purchase for any team this offseason, either. Having to serve part of a suspension to start the year won’t help his chances and he’s consistently battled injuries throughout his career, as he’s never played a full 16-game season. This will make Fuller a hot commodity in the sense that he won’t require a team to spend north of $15 million to acquire his services.
This is where the Ravens need to step in. Fuller brings a lot to the table in terms of what the team likes to do offensively. Fuller is one of the fastest receivers in the league and is as good a deep threat as anyone else. Baltimore has historically favored receivers with tons of speed to take those deep shots, making the fit between the two a very enticing one.
Lamar Jackson would love another deep ball target to match with Marquise Brown and Fuller feels like a great pairing in this offense.
When it comes to bargain-bin shopping for wide receivers this offseason it truly won’t get better than Will Fuller V. Fuller’s fit with the Baltimore Ravens would be terrific and gives the offense that extra boost it needs to complete the unit. He may not be the spectacular play that one of the big-name wide receivers would be in Free Agency, but he’d be a smart and underrated pickup for the Ravens.